THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: October 2, 2013

There’s nothing like getting in front of your home fans to cure a losing streak.

Or in the case of the Coeur d’Alene Viking football team, just staying off a school bus for a few hours before kickoff.

THE FIRST month of the team’s schedule hasn’t been a picnic at all.

After opening the season with a win at West Linn (Ore.), the Vikings lost to Bothell High at Husky Stadium in Seattle 44-43, then lost to Skyline High of Sammamish, Wash., at home.

On the road again two weeks ago in Pocatello, Coeur d’Alene lost in the final moments to Highland High at Holt Arena.

Back home on Friday night, it didn’t take long to get things rolling against 4A Minico.

And the Vikings just rolled, finding the end zone on a kickoff return, blocked punt, passing and rushing touchdown in a 60-14 win to snap a three-game losing streak.

Coeur d’Alene built a 54-7 halftime lead and once the game resumed, both teams had agreed to a running clock for the second half.

I’ve been to more than a few games that have ended in a 45-point mercy rule finish, but only a couple that have gone to a running clock.

Often times, nonleague games at the 5A and 4A level are fairly competitive and you don’t need to speed up the game, but that wasn’t the case on Friday.

Just a guess, but with three of the final four games on the schedule within the 5A Inland Empire League, it might be the last time fans see the running clock for a long time.

WHEN IT was announced last week that Eric Wedge wouldn’t return as manager for the Seattle Mariners, it didn’t come as much of a shock to me.

The team hadn’t produced much since he’d arrived, finishing well out of the playoff race, the 12th straight year without a postseason.

Wedge went 213-273 in three years with Seattle, promising to bring a new attitude to the team.

That didn’t happen.

But you’ve got to hand it to Wedge, he never quit on the team.

Not when he suffered a stroke, and missed nearly a month of the season, he returned to the dugout to manage the team, even when they were building toward next year, instead of playing for a spot in the wild-card race.

Left hung out to dry without a vote of confidence by the team, instead of waiting for the team to make up its mind, Wedge just walked away from the Mariners — on his terms — shown by how he left the team on Sunday.

Once the final out was recorded, Wedge ducked into the clubhouse and went about his final press conference with the team, telling each of them he’d see them again.

Chances are, the team will see him again, with another club, because it’s almost the Mariner way these days.

Let someone leave too early and then watch him come back to make them regret it.

Good luck to whoever replaces Wedge — you’re going to need it.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.